Not having much luck contacting Viltrox regarding warranty service for my possibly defective 28mm f/4.5 lens. Several emails have gone unanswered. Hopefully, I'll get a response this week. The warranty card included with my lens (obtained via Indiegogo) isn't much help:
At this point, all I can do is remain patient.
PS: No, photos not taken with a fisheye lens. My phone has remarkable barrel distortion.
I received my lens today and noticed that there is a new firmware 1.0.5 released for the lens today as well. Mine came preloaded with 1.0.4. I found that the update can be done with Viltrox Lens Smartphone app (I use Android) by connecting a phone directly with the lens using USB-C to USB-C cable. The lens will need to be first scanned and recognized via Bluetooth through the app. It was a bit fiddly but after a few trials it went smoothly and took only about 1-2 minutes to complete. Still haven't had a chance to test the lens outdoors but it seems to work OK in my limited indoor testing so far.
AF 28mm 4.5 FE V1.05(Update via APP) 2024-10-24
Firmware update instructions:
1. Fix some cameras power switch issue.
2. Fix touch screen AF function issue.
Just FYI: AF performance on A7R II with newly release firmware V 1.05 is improved (my copy was 1.03 before the upgrade). Still a bit hesitant and slow but kind of usable (AFS mode).
Unfortunately the Viltrox Lens App to upgrade the lens is still very confusing. Basically, you have to install the app (I did it on an iPad), then create a login (you enter your email, ask for a code, then enter the code and your password).
Then once logged in, you have to connect directly the lens to your iPad with an USB cable, tell the app which lens you want to upgrade and finally start the firmware upgrade.
We got off on the wrong foot thanks to its flare characteristics but we've come to an understanding. After reviewing some test shots from this afternoon, I'm convinced the 28/4.5 is the best body cap my A6300 will ever have. Keep bright lights well out of the frame and you'll be happy.
It sure would be nice if Viltrox hatched a "son of Chip" of, maybe, 16mm or 18mm FL.
I bought this to use it as a street photography lens (+more general urban exploration).
Had the opportunity to use it on a trip to Croatia, on a late afternoon / evening in Zagreb. These are not proper test shots - they are exactly the kind of shots I would want to use the lens for. They're processed with LR, RNI presets, some cropping, and denoising.
Findings:
- autofocus good but not great. I'll experiment with center only
- in general, just right for what I'm trying to do with it
- when light sources are in the frame, the effects can be funky. Some work well, some don't
A couple streetscapes with my new Viltrox 28mm taken in the slightly "rougher" Toronto downtown east side, where this camera lens combo is less likely draw unwanted attention.
Note, the edges and corners may seem very soft here, but are not really that bad. They are beyond the subject DOF at f/4.5, plus I did not sharpen them at all (in fact they got negative clarity in post).
Click the links under the images for hi-res versions.
New firmware V1.07 posted on the Viltrox web site. I first tried to update with the iOS app but it doesn't seems to be aware of the latest firmware 1.07 (keeps telling me that I already have the latest 1.06).
I then downloaded the Windows executable and I was able to update my lens to 1.07.
I see a significant AF improvement on my A7R II camera: way less hunting in AF-S and even AF-C might be usable.
Love how my A7CII becomes pocketable with this lens on. Makes it so convenient to bring along on a walk. It vignettes a lot but shooting in 16:9 helps with that.
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